“All right, let’s ask her,” decided Billie.  “Now that we have made up our minds to change Cherry Corners into a summer resort, I can’t wait to get started.”

“If only the folks will be willing,” said Violet, looking worried.  “Mother is funny about letting me go anywhere away from home without her.”

“I guess all our parents are,” said Billie, then added, with a sudden inspiration:  “I tell you what!  Let’s all go together and ask them.  Three are always stronger than one.”

“You do have a good idea once in awhile, Billie!” exclaimed Laura, jumping out of the swing and holding out a hand to each of them.  “Come on, we can’t afford to waste any time.”

“Where shall we go first?” asked Violet.

“To Laura’s,” Billie decided.  “If we can get her mother and father to consent and then can get Mrs. Gilligan to go with us as chaperone, we’ll have a pretty good argument to give our folks.  Eh, what?”

Gaily the girls set off to win Laura’s parents over to their side, and they were lucky enough to find Mrs. Jordon at home.  Also Teddy was there, sitting beside her on the veranda.  At sight of Billie the boy jumped to his feet and came running down to her.

“Hello,” he cried.  “I was just coming over your way, to see if Chet didn’t want to fight out our singles tournament.  He’s two sets ahead of me now, and I’m thirsting for r-revenge.”

“I think he’ll give it to you all right,” laughed Billie, as Violet and Laura ran up the steps in front of them.  “I’ve never seen the time yet when Chet refused a tennis game.”

“All right, I’m off then,” he cried, and was starting away when she called him back.

“Don’t you want to know about my—­inheritance?” she asked him, with a demure little glance.

“Your what?” he cried, then suddenly he grasped her two hands and swung them joyfully back and forth.  “Do you mean to say,” he cried, “that your aunt really left you something?  What is it, Billie?  Go on, tell me.”

“If you want to hear all about it just stay around for a little while,” she laughed, leading him toward the group at the other end of the porch, two members of which were already in animated conversation.

“May we get in on this?” she called, interrupting an eloquent appeal on Laura’s part.

“Oh, yes, come here, do,” cried Laura, clutching at her dress and dragging her into the circle.  “Mother’s beginning to shake her head, and you mustn’t let her, Billie.  She’ll do anything for you.”

Mrs. Jordon laughed and made room for Billie on the divan beside her.

“Now perhaps you’ll tell me,” she said, “what this crazy daughter of mine is talking about.  So far I’ve got a sort of confused jumble of a haunted house and vacations and Mrs. Gilligan.  I must confess I don’t see how the three can possibly be connected.”

Then Billie told all over again the story of her strange inheritance, while Mrs. Jordon and Teddy listened with interest and Violet and Laura now and then put in a word to plead their cause.